Slow Starts and Inconsistent Golf

[jlh1508]

I'm honestly not sure what I am even looking for from starting this thread other than to just vent a little.

A little background: I am an average golfer that has always been a stellar athlete. I have excelled in any sport I have taken up outside of golf. I assumed I would excel at golf but it has never happened.  For the last 3-4 years I have bounced around a 14-16 handicap and never been able to put it together

This year I have practiced more consistently and been able to play more frequently but still can't quite reach the breakthrough that I would like to reach.

My last 3 rounds have been

47-38 - 85

48-39 -87

46-39- 85

It seems I always start slow and then play great(by my standard) on the back 9. I think I start each round thinking this is it I've turned the corner and can play consistent golf. Then after blowing up a few holes I stop caring about my score and my golf gets much better.  Such a stupid mental block

As I said I'm not even sure what this post/rant is about other than the frustration of feeling like I'm so close but realizing I am yet so very far away.

 

[David in FL]

Do you warm up before you play?  Both by stretching, and hitting balls on the range?

Most serious athletes wouldn't think of starting a football or baseball game, running track, or playing a tennis match without stretching and otherwise warming up.  A lot, for some reason, don't think that the same is important for golf.  It is....

 

[68DEGREE]

52 minutes ago, jlh1508 said:

 

 

Before I took a break a couple years ago my last 10 rounds consisted of six 82 scores and the rest were in the low 90s. The reason I broke off from playing is the mental game was destroying me on the inside. I couldnt break 82 for some reason and it was driving me nuts. 

I think we've ALL watched big name golfers who have let something get in their head and have it either destroy their game...or nearly do it. Some seem to have never recovered.

I stopped scoring my game for a time because stroke counting was actually making me screw up. One bad shot with a drop and that was it, I'd spend the rest of the round stewing about it. 

For me, not worrying about my game, but just living in the stroke Im on right now, seems to the only way I can play a good round. The hard part is to let the last stroke go and move along to the next.

Golf is absolutely a physical game. No doubt about it. But like many other things in life there is a mental aspect of it that can mop the floor with our score card. My best scores are days where I can go out alone, not get paired up with anyone so I can just relax and be at peace with nature. The birdies and even the eagle I got were both on days like that. If Im playing with anyone who can keep me distracted or talking about meaningless nonsense, Im pretty much certain to add 4 or 5 strokes to my round. If I make a bad shot and cant get past it, same thing. 

I think the best players are the guys who are confident enough to let the last stroke go and move on. I'm not there yet.

[DeadMan]

Two thoughts:

1. Do you see a difference between your shots on the front vs. back? I.e., do your contact improve on the back 9 consistently?
2. Is the front 9 harder than the back 9 at the course you're play?

My guess is that you need to warm up a bit. I find that if I don't warm up, it takes me some holes before I really find my swing. First couple of swings on the range are always pretty terrible for me.

It could also be just dumb luck and it will even out for you. But those scores are so different that I somewhat doubt that.

[jlh1508]

1. I always warm up before playing but warm up is always a little different depending on the group Im playing with and the course we are playing.  I always stretch(this routine is the same every round), I always tke at least 10-15 full swings(5 wedge, 5 7i, and 5 driver) -  some of these are on a range with balls other times its just swings with no range and then I try to chip and putt a little bit

I know consistent warm up would help but I pay with different people and different courses and often times ride with others to the course so they don't always arrive in time to give time at the range

2. Even on the rounds I go to the range beforehand I tend to start slow. Played a round a few weeks ago and was hitting great on the range, got to the tee box and my swing was everywhere. Slices, hooks, nothing was consistent.

3. All of these scores were on different courses. Im blessed to live in Michigan with beautiful courses everywhere, so I play all over the place.

 

As i said it is generally after I get frustrated and quit mentally keeping score and thinking about breaking 80 that I settle in and play well.

[Aguirre]

Yeah, you have to warm up. You don't have to hit 100 balls. Just hit a couple wedges, couple irons, and a half dozen drivers. Particularly the driver because the vast majority of the time that will be your first swing. Hit a half dozen putts from 30 feet or so to get a good feel of the green speeds. 

Also, practicing cures a lot of inconsistency. Golf is a game where often one bad stroke costs you two on the scorecard. You're never going to avoid hitting some shots fat, some thin, some pulled, etc. But you can greatly reduce those AWFUL shots that cost you multiple strokes by practicing and getting consistent. 

I once heard Johnny Miller say that if you take about twenty practice swings even without hitting a ball that this will be an effective warm-up. Obviously doesn't tell you much about your ball flight that day, but I think he was saying it does a good job of jogging your muscle memory. So, if you don't have time, or there's no driving range, try that while waiting on the 1st tee.

[WUTiger]

If you end up at a course with no practice range, or a range that's unexpectedly closed, you can still warm up.

After basic swing warm-ups and chipping/putting, hit a few shots with limited-range (LR) practice balls. They feel similar to a real ball, but only fly about 1/3 as far.

A partner and I hit LR-ball 7 iron shots back and forth while waiting to tee off.

18 hours ago, Aguirre said:

Golf is a game where often one bad stroke costs you two on the scorecard.

If you can hit some range shots, seek clues for what's working that day. If you launch wild 3Ws in warm-up but absolutely smoke your hybrid, it might be a day to leave the 3W in the bag on tight shots.